Nativity Angel
by ShanTV Broadway
Summary: Just a little nativity inspired piece I put together as a holiday treat. Merry Christmas to all!


"Christmas Eve, 1991…" Mark panned his camera up and down, showing off the thousands of bright vibrant red and green lights illuminating the once darkened alleyways of the East Village.

"On our way to the old stage for the first annual Alphabet City Nativity," he narrated, as he walked alongside Joanne and Maureen. The couple was carrying a large basket overflowing with colorful costumes and delicate props. A pair of long feathered angel wings sat on top.

"Roger and Mimi are already there?" Joanne asked Mark.

"Yeah," he replied, switching off the camera. "Roger's been keeping things easy and unrushed, since Mimi's got less than a month."

"Ironic, right?" Maureen added. "Letting a girl almost nine months pregnant play the Virgin Mary?"

"You know that's not the only reason we chose her," Joanne sighed, rolling her eyes at her wife. "She and Roger are like Mary and Joseph incarnates, there's no way anyone else could pull it off!"

"Whatever pookie."

Soon they were there; the old 11th street lot stage. They hadn't been back since the riot two years ago. It seemed eerie and unpleasant when they came for the first rehearsal, but after the last few weeks everything was coming back together again.

The guys had managed to construct a frame resembling one of those nativity displays, except crappier. After all, none of them really had experience in carpentry. A huge plastic star was put at the top, with bright yellow lights glowing from inside.  
Sitting off to the side were Mimi and Roger, already in costume. Mimi wore a long white peasant dress, with a light blue scarf wrapped around her head, her dark hair spilling out from underneath. Her husband sat beside her, keeping it simple in khaki slacks, a white T-shirt and brown robe.

"And here are our stars," Mark narrated as he zoomed in his camera's focus on the couple. "How's it feel?"

"Not bad, for someone who looks like a watermelon," Mimi sighed, running her hands over her belly.

"Babe, you look beautiful," Roger comforted her. "I bet a lot more than the real Mary ever was." Mimi smiled at him.

"Just think, you two," Joanne grinned. "This time next month, you'll have a Christmas miracle of your own…"

"Well, _belated_ Christmas miracle." Mimi shrugged. Suddenly she winced and held her hand to her back.  
"Babe, you okay?" Roger put his arm around her.

Mark bit his lip. Mimi's becoming pregnant had been a complete surprise, and it hadn't started out as a pleasant one. Both her and Roger having HIV, it would be highly likely that the baby would be born with it, and with Mimi's past and depth into the illness she could put her own life at risk at trying to carry her child to term.

"Yeah, don't worry," she replied quickly. "Just a twinge in my back. I'm fine."

As soon as Collins arrived, everyone gathered in the backstage area to finish getting ready. Maureen was the angel, slipping the wings over the long white silky robe. Collins, Joanne and Mark were doubling as shepherds and the three wise men with the simple addition of plastic crowns atop their blanketed heads. Just as everyone was finishing putting on their costumes, Maureen peeked over the stage to see that their audience was gathering. And it was even bigger than her solo show's had been.

"Okay people!" she hissed. "This is it, places! Come on Mimi, you and I are first. Joanne, stand by for your passage." Joanne went over to the microphone set up near the stage stairs as her partner slipped behind the stage to a rented elevator platform. She watched as Roger put his hand to Mimi's back as he helped her climb the stairs to her position. Once he was offstage again, she cleared her throat and switch on the mic.

 _"In a city of Galilee called Nazareth lived a young woman named Mary, a virgin betrothed."_ Mimi sat on a stool with an old woven basket in her lap to conceal her bump.

 _"And it was one day,"_ Joanne continued. _"that God sent an angel to her."_ Slowly, the lift began to raise Maureen to her position upstage. She kept her composure, which was usually unheard of, as there were a few rickety bumps as she finally came to the top.

 _"Blessed are you among women!"_ she announced, raising her arms out to Mimi-Mary. _"You have found favor with God!"_ Mimi lowered herself to her knees, raising her hands in prayer.

 _"The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and you shall bear the Son of God, to be named Jesus."_ Unexpectedly, Maureen slipped her hand into a pocket of her robe and flung a handful of glitter.

"There's my honeybear..." Joanne murmured, shaking her head.

Mimi turned to face the audience, looking up to the night sky. _"My soul_ _magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he that is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name."  
_  
At her final lines she crossed back to the stairs for her exit, to a smattering of applause. Maureen was brought down with the platform and went to back to her friends. "Great job, Meems," she patted Mimi's shoulder. "Okay, Mark you're up at the mic. Roger, you ready with the donkey?"

"Got it," he nodded, holding a rather poor attempt of a cardboard cutout of the grey scruffy animal. "And Collins putting out the manger right now." Just then the African American man appeared on the stairs.  
"All set!" he gave a thumbs up.

"Okay, Roger and Mimi you're on!" Maureen directed.

As she followed behind Roger up the stairs, Mimi held the back of the cutout to balance herself. Just as she reached the top step, another uncomfortable sensation swept across her back and stomach. She caught her breath sharply, not wanting to cause any notice.

It couldn't be labor; it was too soon!  
No, it had to be a false alarm...now wasn't the right time. Maureen was counting on her.

Mark stepped up to the mic and began to recite his passage as Mimi crossed the stage with Roger, slowly but confidently.

 _"And it came to pass that Mary, now great with child, traveled with her husband Joseph from Galilee, in the city of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem."_

When they reached the opposite side of the stage, Roger put aside the donkey cutout and took Mimi's hand, leading her to the manger. She reached behind a bale of hay and pulled out a baby doll wrapped in an old grey wool blanket.

Mark continued. _"It was while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."  
_

Mimi leaned down to lay the doll in the manger, Roger hovering over her. Unfortunately as she started to straighten up, a scalding pain shot through her and she screamed. The crowd jumped in surprise.

"Mimi! Baby, what's wrong?" Roger grabbed her as she started to collapse. "The...the baby!" she gasped. She glanced down at her feet, his eyes following. Her water was puddled around her shoes.

"What? No, you can't be, not for another month! Damn it!" he called down to the pit. "Guys! Stop production!" He lifted his wife into his arms and carried her off and down the stairs, setting her down on the bottom stair.

"She's in labor?" Mark panicked. "But it's too early!" "No stopping it now, her water broke," Roger insisted. "We've got to get her to the hospital!"

"Mo, I'm so sorry! I didn't want to ruin the show!" Mimi started to cry. "Forget about that, honey," Maureen assured her. "Your kid's way more important." She brushed her hand over her friend's head, causing the blue scarf to fall off.

Roger wrapped Mimi's arms back around his neck. "We've gotta get her inside somewhere while we wait for the ambulance." Joanne stepped in, pulling off her shepherd costume. "I can help you take her to that old coffeehouse just over there." She pointed across the lot. "It's not very popular, so it should be nice and quiet to wait awhile."

"Thanks, Joanne," Roger nodded. He slipped Mimi's right arm across Joanne's shoulders. "It'll be okay, baby," he soothed her. The three began their walk, quietly and unnoticeably around the audience and across the street.

Maureen ran onstage, holding Joanne's robe and Mimi's head scarf. "Could I have a few volunteers?"

...

"...yes, on 11th street. She's a month early, it could be...you don't understand, she's HIV positive!" As Joanne spoke with the dispatcher on the cafe's phone, Roger knelt beside Mimi lying across the couch.

"Kinda creepy we couldn't find the owner," she murmured. "Yeah, but it's pretty nice, just the two of us." her husband smiled.

Then Mimi's face turned to a grimace and she clutched her belly. "Oowww! Ooohh God!" she moaned. "Just breathe, Meems. Keep breathing," Roger rubbed her hands. "Oh no, no nooo!" she panted. "It's coming, it's coming right now I can feel it!"

Joanne swore into the receiver and hung up the phone. "Those fucking idiots!" she groaned. "Joanne, come here quick!" Roger called to her. "They're not gonna make it."

"Roger, what are you-"

"We're having this baby here. Come and hold Mimi's hand."

Getting between her knees, he propped her feet on the rim of the coffee table and rolled up the skirt of her costume. Pulling her underwear away, Roger looked up at Mimi's fatigued face. "Okay, when you have push Mimi, push," he told her. And she did.

Minutes seemed like an eternity as Mimi bore down hard to bring their child into the world. The pain only got worse, tearing and burning between her legs. Roger wanted to be strong for her, but it was torturing him to she her this way.

On and on, pushing and breathing and screaming. She began losing blood from the strain of the contractions, and her complexion was becoming seriously pale. Both Joanne and Roger knew that if help wouldn't come soon, Mimi's life was at risk.

"Come on, baby, you have to do this!" Roger encouraged her. "I think I see its head!" "No, no more please!" she cried. "I can't anymore; just let me die already!"

"Don't you dare say that, honey," Joanne scolded her gently. "You're gonna see this baby, be there for all of his or her life."

"All it'll take is another few good ones, okay?" Roger stroked her cheek. "You can do this, Mimi..."

She swallowed hard. "Ok," she nodded. With another gasp, Mimi began to push once more. The pain was now at its peek; Roger had been right, the head was on its way out. "There it is! Come on baby, a little more!" he cheered through her agonized yell. Joanne rubbed back and squeezed her hand tightly.

Out of nowhere, a loud booming crash erupted from outside. Roger's shoulders jumped, but he kept his eyes on the task at hand. "It's okay, we're okay," he glanced up and Mimi and Joanne, eyes widened with alarm.

Mimi gave another blood-curdling scream, pushing with all her strength. "Yes baby, that's it!" Roger motivated. "That's it!" With that, finally, it was over. Mimi collapsed onto the sofa as their child slipped from her body and into her husband's arms.

It was quiet. It wasn't making a sound. Joanne looked over from her friend's side, becoming frightened. "Roger?" she gasped.

"Why...isn't it crying?" Mimi stirred. "Roger...our baby...?"

Another moment, and there came a tiny cough. Then a loud strong wail. With tears running down his cheeks, Roger lifted the baby onto Mimi's chest. "We have a daughter."he choked up.

Overcome with emotions, Mimi began to sob as she looked down at her baby girl. She watched as her small pink body quivered with each hiccupping sob, and gently placed her hand comfortingly on the small of her little back.

Roger slipped off his robe and laid it over his wife and new daughter to keep them both warm, and nestled beside them. Tears running down his cheeks, he brushed his lips against Mimi's passionately. "I love you," he whispered. Then they watched as the baby stared up at them with her sleepy blue newborn eyes.

"She's beautiful, you guys," Joanne murmured, watching the new parents fondle over their baby. "Like her mother," Roger smiled softly, shifting glances at both of his amazing girls.

It was silent for a moment as the new family lay together, their friend at their side watching over them intently.

"Oh my God..."

The three's heads turned to the voice at the front door of the shop; Maureen, Collins and Mark were all standing in its frame, faces absolutely still.

"What're you doing here?" Mimi asked. "What about the show?"

"Just as we were finishing, some crazy ass crashed his car into a streetlamp," Collins explained. "Almost broke the whole thing in half. But somehow its just hanging by wiring, and the light pointed right across the street to here."

"So we followed it." Maureen added, with a dopey smile. "Get it? Because-" "We got it, pookie." Joanne nodded, annoyed.

"Little one's okay?" Mark asked as they came over to join their friends. "She's perfect," Roger grinned, gently pressing his finger into his daughter's palm. Her own but much tinier fingers wrapped around it. "She gave us a little scare, but she's perfect."

"Oooh, a girl?!" Maureen squealed. "I knew it! Do you have a name yet? Can I pick?!"

"We've had a name saved for a while," Mimi said, struggling to prop herself up slightly as to not disturb the now sleeping baby. Roger reached his arm behind her shoulders and brushed his fingers along their daughter's dark wisps of hair. "Angela." he announced.

Collins' eyes softened, and he blinked away the oncoming tears.

"Angela Milagrosa," Mimi chimed in. "Because you were right Joanne," she smiled up at the dark skinned woman. "She really is our little miracle..."

Everyone gave a faint smile as they looked down on their new Angel, as in that moment, they discovered a new Christmas to never forget.


End file.
